JPH09255194A - Roll paper feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the feeding stability of roll paper sheets and the workability of replacing roll paper sheets. SOLUTION: Both ends of a roll paper sheet 6 are supported by a flange 8. The flange 8 is supported so as to be freely swung in an arrow direction B integrally with a swing shaft 10. A feed roller 11 is disposed in the lower surface of the roll paper sheet 6 and a nip pressure between the roll paper sheet 6 and the feed roller is obtained by the gravity of the roll paper sheet. The flange 8 is freely slid in the longitudinal direction of the swing shaft 10 and an interval is set by a positioning means according to the width of the roll paper sheet. The tip of the roll paper sheet 6 is rewound to a nip position during non-use.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a roll paper feeder, and more particularly to a roll paper suitable for stabilizing the feeding operation and improving the ease of mounting the roll paper on the roll feeder. Regarding the feeding device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of an apparatus for feeding roll paper as an image recording carrier is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-53741. This roll paper feeding device accommodates roll paper in a cylindrical case having an opening for pulling out the roll paper, and contacts the outer periphery of the roll paper to rotate the roll paper in the case. have. The paper feed roller projects into the case from another opening provided in the cylindrical case and contacts the outer circumference of the roll paper.

The leading end of the roll paper rotated by the paper feed roller is guided by sliding on the inner surface of the case, and is fed to the outside through the opening. In the feeding device, even when the roll paper is consumed and the winding diameter becomes small, the roll paper is brought into contact with the paper feed roller by its own weight to generate a carrying force at the time of feeding, so that the roll paper is in the case. It has a structure that can be freely displaced in the direction of gravity. That is, the roll paper is not structured to be supported by the case by a fixed shaft.

Further, in the roll-shaped sheet (roll paper) supply device described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-84244, two sheets of the sheet set in the dish-shaped case form a pair of rotary rollers. Feeding force is applied while being supported from below by (rollers).

Further, as a device for driving a sheet-like object supported by two winding rollers, an actual open flat plate 4-4605 is used.
There is a fabric winding device described in Japanese Patent No. Unlike the above-described feeding device and the like, this winding device is a device that winds a sheet-like object around a core instead of feeding it. But,
A driving roller (winding roller) without supporting a core and a woven fabric, which is a sheet-shaped object wound into a roll, with a shaft.
It is common to the above-described feeding device and the like in that it is supported by.

[0006]

The feeding device and the like described in the above publication have the following problems. That is, in any of the above-described feeding devices and the like, since the roll paper, the sheet, and the like, which are the objects to be conveyed, are not supported by the shaft, the center is displaced and the conveyance becomes unstable.

Further, in an apparatus in which roll paper is accommodated in a case having a slit, when the roll paper has a poor separation property, that is, when the roll paper is strong and the tip is hard to separate from the roll paper of the lower layer, the roll is rolled from the slit. There is a problem in that the leading edge of the paper cannot be pulled out of the case, which causes problems such as paper jams.

Further, the contact pressure (nip pressure) between the driving roller and the roll paper or the like changes due to the change in the self-weight due to the increase or decrease in the roll diameter of the roll paper or fabric. As a result, there is a problem that the conveyance becomes unstable when the nip pressure is insufficient.

If the case does not entirely cover the transported object, the transported object is likely to come into contact with the outside air, and the influence of moisture is great. In particular, image recording paper or the like is apt to cause printing defects due to moisture, which is a serious problem. On the other hand, if the entire object to be conveyed is covered with a case or the like, another problem arises in that the mounting procedure is particularly complicated when replacing a wide and large size roll paper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and to provide a roll paper feeding device capable of stably feeding the roll paper and simplifying the exchange of the roll paper. To do.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To solve the above problems and to achieve the object, the present invention provides a pair of left and right flanges attached to a swing shaft provided swingably on a body frame, A center rotor protruding inward from the flange,
A first characteristic is that the roll paper is arranged below the roll paper whose center is supported by the center rotor and is provided at a position in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the roll paper. The roll paper is securely supported by the center roll, and irrespective of the size of the winding diameter due to the consumption of the roll paper, the roll paper contacts the roll driving means by the weight of the roll paper and the weight of the flange, the center rotor, etc. A stable nip pressure for feeding can be obtained.

Further, according to the present invention, the roll paper is disposed immediately after the roll paper drive means, and the front end of the roll paper passing through the contact position with the roll paper drive means is peeled off from the layer immediately below the front end. The second feature is that the roll paper tip peeling means provided so as to be pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the paper is further provided, and when the surface layer of the roll paper is in close contact with the lower layer, the peeling means is used. It is peeled off.

Further, according to the present invention, when the flange is below the predetermined position, the flange is urged downwardly from the position, and when the flange is above the predetermined position, the flange is moved downward. The third feature is that the spring means for urging the roll paper above the position is further provided. Since the flange is pushed up above the predetermined position by the spring means, the roll paper is detached from the flange or mounted. Work space is secured when using

Further, according to the present invention, the flange is slidably engaged in the longitudinal direction of the swing shaft, and a positioning groove formed on the shaft so as to correspond to the width of the roll paper, A fourth feature is that the flange further includes an engaging member that engages with the positioning groove. The flange slides on the swing shaft to engage the engaging member with the positioning groove. By combining them, the flange spacing can be easily set according to the width of the roll paper.

Further, according to the present invention, a cutting means for cutting the roll paper pulled out by the roll paper driving means to a predetermined length, and a driving means for rewinding the remaining roll paper cut by the cutting means. And a control means for stopping the rewinding drive means before the end of the roll paper is rewound beyond the contact position of the roll paper drive means and the roll paper. When the roll paper is not used, the roll paper is rewound to the nip position, and the surface layer of the roll paper is brought into close contact with the lower layer.

Further, the present invention is a peeling blade in which the roll paper tip peeling means is swingably provided around a support shaft provided in parallel with the central axis of the roll paper, and the peeling blade is a roll. The peeling blade comprises a spring means for pressing the outer peripheral surface of the paper, and the tip of the peeling blade contacts the outer peripheral surface of the roll paper immediately after the roll paper driving means regardless of the winding diameter of the roll paper, and the spring means. The position of the support shaft and the shape of the peeling blade are determined so that the pressing force of the peeling blade urges the tip of the peeling blade in the direction opposite to the tip of the roll paper fed by the roll paper driving means. There is a sixth characteristic. Immediately after the roll paper drive means, the position of the roll paper is almost constant regardless of the winding diameter. Therefore, according to the sixth feature, by pressing the peeling blade against the roll paper immediately after the roll paper driving means, the tip of the peeling blade contacts the roll paper surface at a substantially constant angle, and the peeling blade rolls the roll paper. Since it comes to abut on the tip of, the peeling is sure.

Further, according to the present invention, a projecting member provided upright on the swing shaft is provided, and the projecting member is elastic to a structure formed in the printer device at a predetermined accommodation position with respect to the printer device. The seventh feature is that the swing shaft is positioned so as to urge the roll shaft to the roll paper drive means side by abutting against. According to the seventh feature, when the roll paper feeding device is pushed into a fixed position of the printer device, the projecting member is elastically biased by the structure of the printer device to increase the nip pressure. Act on.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a printer device showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the printer device 1 includes an image forming unit 2 and a roll paper feeding unit 3. The electrophotographic image forming unit 2 includes a developing unit 20 including a photosensitive drum 200 that is a latent image carrier, a transfer device 210, and the like, a fixing unit 21 that fixes a developed image on a roll recording paper (roll paper), and a fixing unit 21. The image forming unit 2 has a roller 22 for drawing the roll paper. The roll paper on which the image is printed is discharged onto the discharge tray 4. Since the image forming unit 2 can have a known configuration, detailed illustration and description thereof will be omitted.

On the other hand, the roll paper feeding unit 3 is the printer device 1.
The main body frame 30 is housed in the frame 5. The main body frame 30 is slidable in the direction of arrow A with respect to the frame 5 of the printer device 1. Therefore, during maintenance such as replacement of the roll paper, the handle 31 can be used to pull it out to the position shown by the dotted line in the figure. The main body frame 30 accommodates recording paper wound in a roll shape, that is, roll papers 6 and 7. The roll paper 6,7
The structure for accommodating the will be described later in detail. The roll papers 6 and 7 may be of the same size and type, but may be of different types and sizes. One of the roll papers 6 and 7 that corresponds to the print size designated by the host computer or other higher-level device is selected and fed to the image forming unit 2.

Next, the structure of the roll paper feeding section 3 will be described. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an essential part showing the configuration of the roll paper feeding section 3. In the figure, the roll paper 6 is wound around the paper tube 6b. Flanges 8 are arranged on both end surfaces of the roll paper 6 and a support (hereinafter, referred to as a "center") rotatably supporting the roll paper 6 is pressed against the flange 8 by the end portion of the paper tube 6b. 9) Flange 8
Is mounted so as to be rotatable with respect to. The flange 8 is integrally assembled with the swing shaft 10 in the rotating direction by a key / key groove type engaging means described later. Further, the swing shaft 10 is attached to the body frame 30 so as to be swingable in the arrow B direction. Detailed shapes and structures of the flange 8 and the center rotor 9 will be described later with reference to FIG.

A feeding roller (feed roller) 11 is arranged on the lower outer peripheral surface of the roll paper 6, and the roll paper 6 and the feed roller 11 are brought into contact with each other by the nip pressure of the roll paper 6 and the flange 8 due to its own weight. There is. Feed roller 11
Is driven by a motor (not shown). The feed roller 11 can be driven back and forth, that is, in the direction of arrow C. This is to feed the roll paper 6 to the image forming unit 2 and to rewind the roll paper 6 when printing is completed.

A peeling blade 12 for peeling the leading end of the roll paper 6 from the lower layer is pressed against the outer periphery of the roll paper 6. The peeling blade 12 is swingably supported by a support shaft 13, and is positioned so that the tip end thereof comes into contact with the outer circumference of the roll paper 6 immediately after the feed roller 11. The peeling blade 12 is supported by a spring 14 by a support shaft 13
Is biased in the counterclockwise direction (direction of arrow D) around
The leading end of the roll paper 6 comes into contact with the leading end of the roll paper 6 passing through the feed roller 11. It is preferable to determine the position of the support shaft 13 and the shape of the peeling blade 12 so that the tip of the peeling blade 12 contacts the surface layer of the roll paper 6 at a substantially constant position even if the roll diameter of the roll paper 6 changes.

The peeling blade 1 depends on the winding diameter of the roll paper 6.
When the contact position between the roll paper 6 and the roll paper 6 fluctuates, the contact angle between the peeling blade 12 and the roll paper 6 fluctuates, and the peeling performance becomes unstable. The roll paper 6 is
Since the peeling blade 12 is always in contact with the feed roller 11, if the tip of the peeling blade 12 is positioned near the feed roller 11, the peeling blade 1 when the winding diameter changes
It is possible to reduce fluctuations in the angle at which 2 and the roll paper 6 contact each other.
As described above, since it is necessary to position the tip of the peeling blade 12 on the lower surface of the roll paper 6a and set the support shaft 13 at a place with a certain amount of space, the peeling blade 12 as a whole is " It has a bent shape like a square.

The spring 14 attaches the peeling blade 12 to the support shaft 13
Since it suffices to be able to urge it in the counterclockwise direction with respect to the center, it is not limited to the compression spring as shown in the drawing, and another type of spring may be used. For example, a spiral spring or a torsion coil spring may be provided around the support shaft 13 to urge the peeling blade 12.

A conveyance path 16 whose upper and lower sides are restricted by a guide plate 15.
In the middle of, the first sensor 17 and the second sensor 18 for detecting the roll paper 6 pulled out from the rolled state are provided. In the following description, the roll paper pulled out from the wound state will be referred to as roll paper 6a, and the roll paper 6 in the wound state will be distinguished by its reference numeral.

Since the second sensor 18 detects the width of the roll paper 6a, the width direction of the roll paper 6a, that is, the roll paper 6a.
The number of roll papers 6a is provided in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the roll papers 6a. The roll paper 6a is placed between the first sensor 17 and the second sensor 18.
Cutter roller 1 that holds the roll paper 6a when cutting
9 is provided, and the roll paper 6a is provided downstream of the second sensor 18.
A roller cutter 23 for cutting the sheet is provided. The roller cutter 23 itself rotates and moves in the width direction of the roll paper 6a by a conveying means (not shown) to cut the roll paper 6a. The cutter roller 19 is driven by a pulse motor (not shown).

The conveying path 24 downstream of the roller cutter 23 is formed by a fixed guide plate 25 and a swinging guide plate (hereinafter referred to as "swing baffle") 26. The swing baffle 26 is supported by a support shaft 27 and is urged by a spring 28 in the clockwise direction E about the support shaft 27. The spring 28 need only be capable of urging the swing baffle 26 in the clockwise direction around the support shaft 27, and therefore the spring 28 is not limited to the tension spring as shown and may be another type of spring. For example, the swing baffle 26 can be biased by providing a spiral spring or a torsion coil spring around the support shaft 27. Drive means (not shown) for urging the swing baffle 26 in the counterclockwise direction F to open the transport path 24 is provided. This drive means can be realized by a motor or a solenoid.

An intermediate roller 29, which is rotatably fixed to a swing baffle 26, is attached to the guide plate 25 at the downstream end of the conveying path 24, and is attached to the intermediate roller 29 to convey the roll paper 6a. The other intermediate roller 31 is provided. At least one of the intermediate rollers 29 and 31 is driven by a motor (not shown), and the other follows.

The roll paper 7 wound around the paper tube 7b is supported by a center rotor 90 provided on a flange 80, and the flange 80 is supported on the main body frame 30 by a swing shaft 100. Feed roller 35, peeling blade 36
Has the same structure as the feed roller 11 and the peeling blade 12. That is, the peeling blade 36 is supported by the support shaft 37 and is urged by the spring 38 in the arrow G direction.

The roll paper 7a pulled out from the roll paper 7 is fed to a conveying path 34 formed by guide plates 32 and 33. The transport path 34 is provided with a third sensor 39 similar to the first sensor 17. The most downstream side of the transport path 34 joins with the transport path 16 and guides the roll paper 7a to a cutter portion including a cutter roller 19 and a roller cutter 23.

Next, the operation of pulling out the roll paper 6 and feeding the pulled-out portion 6a to the image forming section 2 will be described with the above-mentioned configuration. First, the feeding preparation operation for large-sized roll paper will be described with reference to FIG.
Here, the large-sized roll paper means the transfer device 21.
0 and a roll paper having such a length that the roller cutter 23 is simultaneously applied, for example, a large roll paper that is cut into A3 size or more and used. In step S1, the feed roller 11 and the cutter roller 19 are rotated in the forward direction, that is, the direction in which the roll paper is conveyed to the image forming unit 2.
In step S2, it is determined whether or not a first scheduled time t1 has elapsed from the start of rotation of the feed roller 11 and the cutter roller 19, and if the first scheduled time t1 has not elapsed, the process proceeds to step S3. .

The scheduled time t1 is a time required for the leading end of the rolled paper 6 to reach the first sensor 17. Here, assuming that the roll paper 6 has a maximum winding diameter in an unused state and the tip is at the farthest position on the downstream side of the feed roller 11, the tip reaches the first sensor 17. Set the required time. Roll paper 6
Assuming that the front end of the roll paper 6 is located at the farthest position on the downstream side of the feed roller 11, the roll paper 6 is attached to the center rotor 9 of the flange 8 without being aware of the front end of the roll paper 6.
Even if it is set to, the state detection described later can be performed.

In step S3, depending on whether the first sensor 17 is "on", the leading edge of the roll paper 6a is the first sensor 1
It is determined whether the position 7 has been reached. If the first sensor 17 is turned “on” by the lapse of the scheduled time t1,
Proceed to step S5. On the other hand, if the first sensor 17 is not turned on even after the first scheduled time t1 has elapsed,
In step S4, the roll paper feeding unit 3 displays or warns that there is no roll paper.

In step S5, it is judged whether or not a second scheduled time t2 has elapsed since the first sensor 17 was turned "on". If the second scheduled time t2 has not elapsed, step S5 is performed. Proceed to S6. In step S6, it is determined whether the leading edge of the roll paper 6a has reached the position of the second sensor 18 depending on whether the second sensor 18 is "on".
As the second scheduled time t2, the time required for the leading edge of the roll paper 6a to reach from the first sensor 17 to the second sensor 18 is set.

By the elapse of the second scheduled time t2, the second
If the sensor 18 is turned "on", the process proceeds to step S8.
On the other hand, if the second sensor 18 does not turn on after the second scheduled time t2 has elapsed, the process proceeds from step S5 to step S7 to display or warn that the roll paper has jammed (occurrence of jam). To do.

In step S8, the roll paper size is detected based on the number of the second sensors 18 which are "on". In step S9, the feed roller 11 and the cutter roller 19 are reversely rotated. This is because the size of the roll paper 6a has been detected, so that the roll paper 6a is rewound to a predetermined position and kept waiting until a print command is input in a state where the leading edge is less damaged. The above-mentioned damage refers to deformation by the pressing roller 19 for a long time or moisture. Therefore, it is necessary that the surface layer of the rewound roll paper is in close contact with the layer immediately below, and for that purpose, the rewind roll paper is rewound so that the leading end of the roll paper is positioned at the nip position by the feed roller 11. Most preferably, at least the tip of the roll paper 6a is located between the nip position and the first sensor 17.

In steps S10 and S11, it is determined whether the leading edge of the roll paper 6a has returned to the position between the first sensor 17 and the feed roller 11. Third
When the first sensor 17 does not turn off even after the elapse of the scheduled time t3, that is, the time required for the leading edge of the roll paper 6a to return from the second sensor 18 to the position between the first sensor 17 and the feed roller 11. Judges that the roll paper 6a is jammed and displays or warns that a jam has occurred in step S12.

By the time the third scheduled time t3 elapses, the first
If the sensor 17 is turned off, the process proceeds to step S13 to stop the reverse rotation of the feed roller 11 and the cutter roller 19. With this, the size of the roll paper 6a and its tip position are specified, and the preparation is completed.

The above-described roll paper preparation operation is an "automatic" operation in which the operator does not need to pay attention to the leading end position of the roll paper 6 after setting the roll paper 6 on the flange 8. This can be performed not "automatically" but "manually" with the setting of the roll paper 6 by the operator's work. That is, the operation for positioning the leading end of the roll paper 6a between the feed roller 11 and the first sensor 17 is manually performed. In such manual roll paper preparation, first, the roll paper 6 is held by the center rotor 9, and then the roll paper 6 is manually moved in a direction opposite to the conveying direction until the leading edge of the roll blade 6 passes the leading edge of the peeling blade 12. turn. After passing the tip of the peeling blade 12, the roll paper 6 is manually rotated in the transport direction, that is, in the forward direction so that the tip is located between the feed roller 11 and the first sensor 17, and adjustment is performed. .

After the roll paper 6 is prepared by the manual operation, the operation for detecting the size of the roll paper 6 is executed in the same manner as described with reference to FIG. In the operation by “manual”, the leading end position of the roll paper 6 is already almost specified, and thus the scheduled time t1 may be a much smaller value than in the case of “automatic”.

When the leading edge of the roll paper 6a is set to the preparation position in this way, the feeding of the roll paper 6a is started after waiting for the instruction to start printing. The feeding operation of the roll paper 6a for printing will be described with reference to FIG. In step S21, the feed roller 11, the cutter roller 19, and the intermediate rollers 29 and 31 are normally rotated. Steps S22 and S
At 23, it is determined whether the second sensor 18 is turned on.
The determination is made until the scheduled time t4 for error determination has elapsed. The scheduled time t4 is the time required for the roll paper to be conveyed from the nip position to the second sensor 18.

The second sensor 18 is operated even after the scheduled time t4.
If is not "ON", an error is displayed in step S24. By the time the scheduled time t4 elapses, the second sensor 18
If is turned on, the process proceeds to step S25, where the number of pulses P supplied to the motor of the cutter roller 19 is P.
Is started and the amount of rotation of the cutter roller 19, that is, the transport length of the roll paper 6a is monitored. In step S26, it is determined whether or not the pulse number P has reached the planned value P1. This value P1 is obtained from the second sensor 18 by the intermediate roller 2
This corresponds to the number of pulses required to convey the roll paper 6a until the leading edge of the roll paper 6a reaches 9,31.

If the number of pulses P reaches the planned value P1,
Proceeding to step S27, an operation for cutting the roll paper 6a into a designated length is started. That is, in order to cut the roll paper, it is necessary to stop the conveyance of the roll paper. However, since the leading edge of the large-sized roll paper 6a has already reached the position of the transfer device 210 at the cutting timing, the roller 22 of the image forming unit 2 and the intermediate rollers 29, 3 are formed.
Can't stop 1. Therefore, even if a slack is formed on the roll paper 6a and the cut portion of the roll paper 6a is held for cutting, the leading end position during transfer is not affected.

In order to form the slack, step S2
At 7, the feed roller 11 and the cutter roller 19 are accelerated, and the swing baffle 26 is rotated to open the conveyance path 24. Since the intermediate rollers 29 and 31 are not accelerated, the feed roller 11 and the cutter roller 19 are accelerated, so that slack can be formed on the roll paper 6a between the intermediate rollers 29 and 31 and the cutter roller 19. it can.

In step S28, the cutter roller 19
It is determined whether or not the number of pulses P supplied to has reached a predetermined value P2. This value P2 is a value corresponding to the transport distance of the length of the roll paper 6a required by the image forming apparatus 2.

When the number of pulses P reaches the predetermined value P2, the process proceeds to step S29, the feed roller 11 and the cutter roller 19 are stopped, and the roll cutter 6 cuts the roll paper 6a. Even if the feed roller 11 and the cutter roller 19 are stopped while the roll paper 6a is cut, the roll paper 6a can be continuously fed by the roller 22 of the image forming unit 2 because the roll paper 6a has slack.

When the cutting of the roll paper 6a is completed, the process proceeds to step S30, the swing baffle 26 is closed, and the feed roller 11 and the cutter roller 19 are reversed. Then, the roll paper 6a is returned to a position between the feed roller 1 and the first sensor 17, and the feeding operation is completed. Steps S31 to S34 are the same as steps S9 to S
The description is omitted because it is similar to 12. Further, if printing is finished on the cut roll paper 6a, step S
At 35, the intermediate rollers 29 and 31 are also stopped.

The rewinding of the roll paper 6a is not executed every time the roll paper 6a is cut, but when a continuous print command is given, that is, when a plurality of sheets are continuously printed, a series of It is recommended to execute after printing is completed.

When the roll paper 6a is cut into a small size, that is, when the front end of the roll paper 6a does not reach the transfer device 210, the roll paper 6a should be cut without increasing the slack. Therefore, the swing baffle 26 does not have to be opened. It is sufficient to accelerate the feed roller 11 and the cutter roller 19 just before cutting the roll paper 6a to form the slack in the transport path 24. However, at the time of cutting, not only the feed roller 11 and the cutter roller 19 but also the intermediate roller 2
9 and 31 are also stopped.

The roll paper preparation operation and the feeding operation at the time of printing described with reference to the above flow chart are performed by the CPU and R
It can be realized by a microcomputer having a well-known configuration having storage means such as OM and RAM, and an input / output device.

Next, the structure of a flange or the like for supporting the roll paper 6 (hereinafter referred to as "support portion") will be described. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a main part of the support part. In the figure, a pair of flanges 8 are fixed to the swing shaft 10 supported by the main body frame 30 so as to be rotatable integrally with the swing shaft 10. However, the flanges 8 and 8 are slidably attached to the swing shaft 10 in the longitudinal direction so that the distance between the two flanges 8 and 8 can be adjusted according to the size (width) of the roll paper. There is. Further, a positioning groove 40 is formed on the swing shaft 10 at a position corresponding to the standard size of the roll paper 6, and the later-described portions provided on the flanges 8 and 8 are engaged with the positioning groove 40. Fix the position. The position of the flange 8 shown by the dotted line in the figure is an example in which the flange interval is narrowed.

Even if the size of the roll paper 6 changes, in the method of printing an image with one of the side edges of the roll paper 6 as a reference (so-called side registration method), one of the two flanges 8 and 8 is shaken. The position with respect to the drive shaft 10 may remain fixed and no adjustment is necessary.

A center rotor 9 is pivotally supported on the flange 8 so as to be rotatable with respect to the flange 8. The tip of the center rotor 9 is tapered so that it can be partially inserted into the inner surface of the end of the paper tube 6b of the roll paper 6.
One of the two center rotors 9, 9 (here, the one on the left side in the figure) is attached to the flange 8 so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the swing shaft 10, and is connected by a compression spring 41. It is urged toward the other center rotor 9. Specifically, the support shaft 9a of the center rotor 9 is slidably attached to the flange 8 or the center rotor 9 is slidable with respect to the support shaft 9a.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the main part of the swing shaft 10.
As shown in the figure, in addition to the groove 40 on the swing shaft 10,
A long groove 42 extending in the longitudinal direction of the swing shaft 10 is formed. A projecting portion provided on the flange 8 side is engaged with the long groove 42 so that the flange 8 and the swing shaft 10 are integrated with each other in the rotating direction. In other words, the protrusion and the long groove 42 have a key-key groove relationship.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a flange positioning member provided on the flange 8. In the figure, the fixing portion 44 of the engaging member 43 is integrally assembled with the flange 8. On the other hand, the portion of the engaging member 43 other than the fixed portion 44, that is, the movable portion has a force point portion 45 and an action point portion 46. The force point portion 45 and the action point portion 46 are not fixed to the flange 8. Then, one of the action point portions 46 is engaged with the positioning groove 40, and the other of the action point portions 46 is in contact with the surface of the swing shaft 10. Further, a protruding portion, that is, a key 47 is fixed to the flange 8 and the long groove 4 of the swing shaft 10 is fixed.
It is slidably fitted in 2. The engaging member 43 is entirely made of a flexible material such as a resin material or a spring material.

With such a structure, when the force point portion 45 is deformed in the direction of the arrow 45A, the action point portion 46 is deformed in the direction 46A opposite to the arrow 45A. Then,
The engagement between the action point portion 46 and the groove 40 is released, and the flange 8
The engaging member 43 can be slid in the longitudinal direction of the swing shaft 10. In this way, when adjusting the distance between the flanges 8 and 8, the force point portion 45 is pressed by hand and the action point portion 4 is pressed.
6 is opened, the engaging member 43 is moved, and when the position is determined, the force application portion 45 is released and fixed. The point of action 46
May be opened only on the side engaging with the groove 40.

Next, the urging means for the flange will be described. The roll paper 6 can obtain a nip pressure between the roll paper 6 and the feed roller 11 by its own weight, but in order to obtain a high nip pressure, the flange 8 can be urged as follows. it can.

FIG. 8 is a principle view of a structure for applying a biasing force to the flange 8. In the figure, a rod 48 is erected on the swing shaft 10. The rod 48 engages with a spring member 49 provided on the frame 5 of the printer device 1 so that its elastic force acts. Then,
A turning force is applied to the flange 8 in the counterclockwise direction CC in the figure, and the nip pressure with the feed roller 11 is increased. The positions of the spring member 49 and the rod 48 are set so that when the main body frame 30 is pushed into the frame 5 of the printer device 1, the spring member 49 and the rod 48 engage with each other and the elastic force acts.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing a standing state of the rod 48, and FIG. 9B is a rod 48 and a spring member 49.
It is a top view which shows the positional relationship with respect to. In the same figure (b), the state of bending when the spring member 49 and the rod 48 are engaged is shown by a dotted line. Either the rod 48 or the spring member 49 may be a spring member. The point is that the structure is such that the flange 8 is elastically biased when the rod 48 and the spring member 49 contact each other. Therefore, the rod 48 and the spring member 49 are both rigid members, and a member having elasticity between them, such as a spring or rubber,
A member that produces a repulsive force when compressed may be arranged.

Next, the support structure of the flange 8 for improving workability when setting the roll paper 6 on the flange 8 will be described. In the state in which the roll paper 6 is fed, the flange 8 makes the outer peripheral surface of the roll paper 6 wound into a roll contact the feed roller 11, so that the main body frame 30
Must be located near the bottom of the. On the other hand, if the flange is located near the bottom, it is difficult to insert the hand and work to replace the roll paper 6. for that reason,
When replacing the roll paper 6, it is desirable that the flange 8 can be pulled out upward.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the support structure for the flange 8 is as follows. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the principle of the support structure of the flange 8. In the figure, the flange 8 is provided with the swing shaft 10 and the main body frame 3 as described above.
It is swingably supported with respect to zero. One end of the tension spring 50 is fixed to one point 80 on the flange 8, and the other end of the tension spring 50 is fixed to another point 51 apart from the flange 8 and the swing shaft 10. .

The position of the point 51 is an intermediate position R between the feeding position RL of the roll paper 6 and the replacement position RH of the roll paper 6.
At M, the tension force f of the tension spring 50 acts only in the direction of the swing shaft 10, and at the feeding position RL, the tension force f generates a component force f1 for urging the flange 8 downward. At the position MH, the tensile force f is determined so as to generate a component force f2 that urges the flange 8 upward.

In other words, the point 51 is a straight extension line L1 connecting the point 80 and the swing shaft 10 when the flange 8 is at the feeding position RL, and the flange 8 is the replacement position RH.
It is only necessary to select within the region Z sandwiched by the extension line L2 of the straight line connecting the point 80 and the swing shaft 10 at the time. Within this area, the nip pressure increases as the point 51 approaches the extension line L2, and the holding force at the replacement position RH stabilizes as the point 51 approaches the extension line L1.

By causing the tension spring 50 to act in this manner, the flange 8 at the replacement position RH of the roll paper 6
Can be prevented from dropping from the replacement position RH by its own weight. Therefore, is it enough to support the flange 8 by hand?
Alternatively, it is not necessary at all, and the replacement work of the roll paper 6 becomes easy.

Next, a roll paper drive unit that replaces the feed roller 11 will be described. In the above-described example, the roll paper 6 is brought into contact with the feed roller 11 to drive the roll paper 6 to the transport path. However, instead of the feed roller 11, the belt device may drive the roll paper 6. it can. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a roll paper driving unit by the belt device, and the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 denote the same or equivalent portions. The belt device is composed of belt wheels 52 and 53 and a belt 54 wound around the belt wheels 52 and 53. When the roll paper 6 is driven by this belt device, the contact area between the roll paper 6 and the belt 54 can be increased. Since the contact area increases as the winding diameter of the roll paper 6 increases and its own weight increases, there is an advantage that the driving force is not reduced while local deformation of the roll paper 6 is reduced. .

The belt device, like the feed roller 11, is capable of forward and reverse rotation. Therefore, one of the belt wheels 52 and 53 is set to the drive side, if necessary,
It goes without saying that switching means such as a clutch is provided so that the other side is the driven side.

It should be noted that the feed roller 11 and the belt 54 do not have a width over the entire width direction of the roll paper 6, but are dimensioned so as to come into contact with only a partial area of the width direction central portion of the roll paper 6, for example. You can also The advantage in this case is that the directionality in the direction in which the roll paper 6 is driven can be reduced to prevent skew. That is, when the feed roller 11 and the like are brought into contact with each other in a relatively long area in the width direction of the roll paper 6, the skew is caused when the central axis of the feed roller 11 and the like is not directly facing the normal transport direction. It is easy to occur. On the other hand, if the width of the feed roller 11 or the like is reduced, such a problem is unlikely to occur.

[0068]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the invention, the roll paper is securely supported by the center roll, so that the center of the roll paper does not shake during feeding. . Further, irrespective of the size of the roll diameter caused by the consumption of the roll paper, the roll drive means is contacted by the weight of the roll paper and the weight of the flange, the center rotor, etc., and a stable contact pressure for feeding is obtained. The stability of delivery is improved.

According to the second aspect of the invention, when the surface layer of the roll paper is in close contact with the lower layer, it can be peeled off by the peeling means, so that automatic feeding start after setting the roll paper on the flange becomes easy. .

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the roll paper is replaced, the flange having the supporting rotor for supporting the roll paper is pushed upward by the spring means. Therefore, the work space for the roll paper replacement can be widened and the workability is improved. To do.

According to the invention of claim 4, since the flange interval according to the width of the roll paper can be easily set, the workability particularly when replacing the roll paper which has been mounted until then with a roll paper of a different size is improved. improves.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, when the roll paper is not used, the roll paper is rewound and the surface layer portion thereof is brought into close contact with the lower layer thereof, so that the deterioration or deformation of the roll paper due to moisture or the like can be prevented. As a result, printing defects such as missing pixels can be reduced.

In the invention of claim 6, the peeling blade can be pressed to a position where the position of the roll paper is substantially constant regardless of the winding diameter, and the tip of the peeling blade can be brought into contact with the roll paper surface at a substantially constant angle. Moreover, since the peeling blade can be brought into contact with the tip of the roll paper, stable peeling performance can be obtained regardless of the winding diameter.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the pressing force acts so as to increase the nip pressure when the roll paper feeding device is pushed to the predetermined position of the printer device, and the roll paper is stably conveyed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts of a roll paper feeding unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a printer device including a roll paper feeding unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a roll paper feeding operation.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a printing operation.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a configuration of a roll paper support unit.

FIG. 6 is a main part perspective view showing the shape of the shaft of the roll paper support.

FIG. 7 is a side view of essential parts showing the structure of a flange that engages with the shaft of the roll paper support.

FIG. 8 is a principle view of a unit that presses the roll paper against the feed roller.

9A and 9B are a perspective view and a plan view of an essential part showing the configuration of a unit that presses the roll paper against the feed roller.

FIG. 10 is a principle view of means for holding the roll paper at an upper replacement position.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a modified example of means for driving roll paper.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Printer device, 2 ... Image forming unit, 3 ... Roll paper feeding unit, 5 ... Frame, 6, 7 ... Roll paper, 8 ...
Flange, 9 ... Center rotor, 10 ... Oscillating shaft, 1
1 ... Feed roller, 12 ... Peeling blade, 14 ...
Compression springs, 16, 24, 34 ... Conveyance path, 17 ... First
Sensor, 18 ... Second sensor, 19 ... Cutter roller, 30 ... Main body frame, 40 ... Positioning groove

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A roll paper feeding device having a main body frame arranged so as to be freely drawn out to a printer device, wherein a pair of left and right flanges attached to a swing shaft provided swingably on the main body frame, A center rotor projecting inward from the flange, and a roll paper driving unit arranged below the roll paper whose center is supported by the center rotor and abutting on the outer peripheral surface of the roll paper. A roll paper feeding device characterized in that 2. The outer peripheral surface of the roll paper, which is disposed immediately after the roll paper drive means and separates the leading end of the roll paper that has passed the contact position with the roll paper drive means from the layer immediately below the leading end. 2. The roll paper feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising a roll paper front end peeling unit provided so as to be pressed against. 3. The flange is urged below the position when the flange is below the expected position, and the flange is above the position when the flange is above the expected position. The roll paper feeding device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising spring means for urging the roll paper. 4. The flange is slidably engaged in the longitudinal direction of the swing shaft, and further, a positioning groove formed on the swing shaft so as to correspond to the width of the roll paper, and the flange. And an engaging member that is provided in the engaging member and that engages with the positioning groove.
The roll paper feeder according to any one of 1. 5. A cutting means for cutting the roll paper pulled out by the roll paper driving means to a predetermined length, a driving means for rewinding the remaining roll paper cut by the cutting means, and the winding means. The drive means for returning, the tip of the roll paper,
The roll paper feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a roll paper drive unit and a control unit that stops the roll paper before it is rewound beyond the contact position. 6. A peeling blade in which the roll paper leading edge peeling means is swingably provided around a support shaft provided in parallel with the central axis of the roll paper, wherein the peeling blade is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the roll paper. The peeling blade comprises a spring means for pressing the tip of the peeling blade, which contacts the outer peripheral surface of the roll paper immediately after the roll paper driving means regardless of the roll diameter of the roll paper, and by the pressing force of the spring means. The position of the support shaft and the shape of the peeling blade are determined such that the tip of the peeling blade is biased in a direction facing the tip of the roll paper fed by the roll paper driving means. Item 6. The roll paper feeder according to any one of items 1 to 5. 7. A projecting member provided upright on the swing shaft, the projecting member elastically abutting a structure formed on the printer device at a predetermined accommodation position with respect to the printer device. A roll paper feeding device, which is positioned so as to urge the swing shaft toward the roll paper drive means.